FIG. 6 is a partial top view of prior art one-way rocker clutch in a stator for a torque converter.
FIG. 7 is a top view of a strut in FIG. 5. The following should be viewed in light of FIGS. 6 and 7. Rocker one-way clutch 200 includes inner race 202, outer race 204, and strut 206. Strut 206 includes portions 208 and 210. Portion 208 is arranged to engage with and be restrained by pocket 212 of the outer race, and includes top surface 214 and center point 216. Edge 218 of the top surface is at uniform distance 220 from the center point. Portion 208 includes segments 222 and 224. Edge 226 of segment 224 protrudes past edge 228 of segment 224. There is no protrusion extending from edge 230. Thus, portion 208 is asymmetrical with respect to line 232 passing through the center point and parallel to edges 228 and 230. When the strut is properly installed in the pocket, strut 206A, for example, edges 226 and 228 are arranged to engage and restrain spring 232 for the clutch, which urges portion 208 radially inward.
In FIG. 6, strut 206B is incorrectly installed such that the spring contacts edge 230. As a result, the contact angle between the strut and ramp 236 of the inner race is significantly and detrimentally different from the desired angle that results from proper installation of the strut. That is, the strut does not “drop into” space 238 because edge 224, rather than edge 230 is in contact with the ramp. The incorrect contact angle can result in the strut sliding past the ramp, instead of locking with surface 238 of the ramp. As a result, the designed surface contact area is reduced, resulting in higher loading of the remaining strut, which are properly engaging the ramp surfaces, and subsequent reduction in durability of the one-way clutch.
In FIG. 6, the “backward” installation of strut 206B enables the spring to slide past end 240 of the strut and/or lie along edge 230 and become jammed between the strut and the outer race. In the free-wheel mode, the strut crushes the spring as the strut is pushed toward the outer race by ramp 236A. The crushed spring causes the inner and outer races to be non-rotatably locked, which causes failure of the one-way clutch. Installation of the strut in the configuration of FIG. 6 can unintentionally occur during assembly of the clutch.